The Gillard government has finally agreed to release a 36 page summary of what may as well be tissue paper, or a tissue of crafted deception to secure the backing of independent senator Nick Xenophon.

The same Nick Xenopohon that has been bleating to radio journos that nothing short of a "cost-benefit analysis" would be adequate for judgement. The self serving Nick has accepted the 36 pages of Labors compliance to his whip hand, a touch of "the Oakeshotts" must have overcome him.

His previous words must be viewed as writing in the sand. What price I wonder, what did Gillard offer him other than the miraculous 36 page report that alleviated his concern at spending 36 billion when alternatives that deliver comparable speeds are costed at only 6 billion as he is well aware of.

Why did this folksy socially aware pollie who broadcast weekly on a Sydney radio network, that is certainly no friend to the Labor Governments State and Federal, change his mind within hours of receiving a 36 page screen play? For the past six weeks he wooed the listeners with such gems of wisdom as "every business venture requires a cost benefit analysis, particularly when taxpayer’s money is involved". We swooned, common sense from a senator. Then only hours after reading the 36 pages he is convinced that spending 36 billion is sound, a 36 billion project and a 36 page screen play, that’s a billion dollars worth of convincing per page.

Glad 2 c u are becoming more passionate about things political SOG :)

But I fear u're looking more at the symptom rather than the disease.

(the disease is an itching fungeal 'skin' condition)

We need 'one go Lumosil' to fix them.

But on the NBN? hmmm yessss....I do wonder how much it will cost, and dare I say it...(put's on 'prophet' cap).... no matter how strong the denials about 'selling it off' later.. economic desperation will force it..then that skin disease will have morphed into an unstoppable flesh eating bacteria...that no antibiotics can touch.

You can't have the govt; running a monopoly. You can't have business running one either.
With the breaking of Telstra will go a long way to resolving one monopoly
The NBN will happen, approved by Parliament, not the Labour camp.

579>> You can't have the govt; running a monopoly. You can't have business running one either.
With the breaking of Telstra will go a long way to resolving one monopoly<<

It will go a long way to nothing changing. The ACCC has not had a win for the consumer since federation. Currently 80% of the food we buy comes from the big W's, Woolies and Westfarmers. The booze we buy and the petrol we pump are rapidly heading towards that duopoly as well.

Telstra will do as they please when they please, given that laissez-faire is alive and well in Australia as exhibited by two companies supplying us everything, and that thanks to the corrupt ACCC.

Re the NBN, Telstra has copper to the door of 80% of Australians. We could give the ACCC revised guidelines to stop Telstra and Woolies/Westfarmers further marginalizing the competition but giving Telstra a new ongoing revenue stream that the poor long suffering shareholders will appreciate.

While Gillard will spend possibly more than half of the billions on digging up the country. A stupid decision and reminiscent of Gillard’s Nauru obstinacy. She don't like it because the opposition came up with it, it serves her ego not us.

Telstra shareholders were conned right from the start, by guess who.

sonofgloin,
Have to agree with 579 on telsta, they have been one of the worst cases of poor management by both themselves and the government when majority share holder we have seen. To have ever allowed them to have held a monopoly over domestic cabling was foolish and anti competitive. Funny the Howard government with all their supposed business wisdom were only like all government in the end and made some real howlers when it was too hard or suited themselves. The Telstra sale was the worst, a total rip off of the community to line their pockets and brag about reduced debt. They might as well have raised tax and kept telstra.
It is alright to say that the ACCC should have new powers to deal with these duopolies but the truth is that such laws would signal interferance in the market place and would drive away any interested investors not just in that area of commerse but accross the board. We are to blame for the woolies and coles situation, there are plenty other places to shop so use them don't blame government for your own laziness. W & C are not cheap either.

AL,
What do you mean "no matter how strong the denials about 'selling it off' later.. economic desperation will force it". Strange but i understood that the selling off of the NBN was part of the plan the whole time. It is to recoupe capital and remove government from the market. The only issue i see is that the monopoly situation remains. They should have allowed telstra to go it alone and built another system independently so we had two competing networks. But then again we would need another 20 million people to support the scale of infrastructure.